The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-09/06/2018
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EDUCATION DIGEST: Cumberlands to lower tuition by 57%; Iorg at convocation: 'The Gospel marches on'
by Kentucky Today, Gateway Seminary & BP Staff
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
Univ. of the Cumberlands to lower tuition by 57%
WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (BP) -- Tuition rates will be cut 57 percent at the University of the Cumberlands for the 2018-2019 academic year under a plan known as "The Cumberlands Commitment."
Tuition for on-campus undergraduate students will be reduced from $23,000 to $9,875 at the university affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
"We are making this change because we are committed to putting our students and families first by addressing the most significant hurdle to a college education -- affordability," Cumberlands President Larry L. Cockrum said. "We want all students to know that with Cumberlands there is a clear and affordable path to a college degree."
Leaders at the university believe that lowering tuition to levels competitive with Kentucky's state-funded universities will result in a major increase in enrollment to offset the reduced tuition.
Cockrum made the announcement to Cumberlands students, faculty and staff on Tuesday morning (Sept. 4).
The initiative reflects the university's mission to serve students and families throughout the Appalachian region. Currently, 82 percent of Cumberlands students come from Appalachia, with 53 percent from Kentucky. The university, with 10,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and online degree programs, is located in the southeastern Kentucky town of Williamsburg.
The tuition decrease means the total annual cost for undergrads will drop from $32,000 to $19,175; the school said it will continue to maintain a scholarship system for academic, athletic and extracurricular awards.
"The Cumberlands Commitment we're making today means that out-of-pocket costs will not increase for any of our students," Cockrum said. "We will continue to work each and every day to make tuition affordable to anyone who has dreams of higher education and greater opportunity.
Larry Rector, Cumberlands director of financial aid, said he speaks to students "each day about college finances, including student loans and managing that debt beyond college.... From this point forward, this university can send college graduates into the world with the financial peace of mind not available to many of their peers."
While cuts are being made to tuition, university officials said there will be no cuts in programs or services provided to students, and no reduction in faculty or staff.
"This university has done all the right things in recent years to make the student experience the best that it can be," said Jerry Jackson, Cumberlands vice president for enrollment. "We experienced growth this fall beyond our projections in undergraduate enrollment, and we have grown in that regard for the last five years. With a transparent pricing model that reduces tuition costs, we expect even more students to find Cumberlands the perfect fit for them."
Founded in 1888 by a group of Baptist minsters as the Williamsburg Institute, it became Cumberland College in 1913 and the University of the Cumberlands in 2006.
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Iorg at convocation: 'The Gospel marches on' in face of opposition
ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) -- Jeff Iorg voiced encouragement to students facing increased opposition to the spread of the Gospel during his President's Convocation message Aug. 30 at Gateway Seminary's main campus in Ontario, Calif. He also welcomed the largest group of new trustees in the seminary's history
"The rise of opposition, according to the book of Acts, is an opportunity for the church to rise up," Iorg said. "Opposition to the Gospel can catalyze further progress of the Gospel."
Iorg examined external and internal obstructions to the Gospel faced by the early church in five stories found in Acts 3-8. In each case he defined the source of the opposition and the outcome for the Gospel.
"As the gospel progresses, the external pressure builds and the punishment gets greater, but the Gospel keeps advancing," Iorg said. "The Gospel is always progressing steadily forward."
Across three of these accounts, the Sanhedrin increased the severity of their responses to the early church, first imprisoning the apostles and warning them to stop preaching (Acts 3:1-4:35), then physically beating the apostles (Acts 5:17-42) and finally killing Stephen (Acts 6:8-8:3).
Iorg told students to address external opposition to the Gospel with spiritual conviction and spiritual resources, encompassing the power of the Holy Spirit, the truth of the Word of God and sustaining prayer. He contrasted the Sanhedrin's actions with the internal opposition of leadership failure and organizational dysfunction.
"Leadership failure and organizational dysfunction are in the stories that almost derailed or limited the Gospel's progress in the early days, and it is still happening today," he said.
The first great internal opposition came from leaders Ananias and Sapphira, Iorg said, and it involved two of the three most dangerous pitfalls leaders face (Acts 4:36-5:16). "The unholy trinity of leadership failure is money, sex and power; misuse of those three or any one of those three is what takes down ministry leaders. When that happens, the Gospel is disrupted and limited in impact," he said.
"This is not new. This is not a 21st-century cultural or Southern Baptist Convention problem. The first source of internal opposition to the advance of the Gospel was a leadership failure over money and power."
Iorg called for Gateway's faculty to train students to be leaders who practice accountability and make healthy lifestyle and leadership decisions.
"No leader is above the need for accountability processes that keep him or her in check, and we must model that, we must practice it and we must teach people how to set that up in every place where they lead in the future."
The second internal opposition to the Gospel's advance, Iorg said, was organizational dysfunction (Acts 6:1-7). Because of the early church's rapid growth, widows were being overlooked and "disruption rose in the fellowship and the Gospel was being slowed in its progress," Iorg said. "Notice when leaders create chaos, or church members create chaos, solutions are found and the Gospel keeps progressing.
"We must always be asking ourselves, 'What part of our organization needs to change to facilitate effectiveness in the 21st century?'" Iorg said. "Every time there is opposition, whether it is external or internal, whether it intensifies as the apostles are warned, imprisoned, beaten and killed, or whether the church disruption takes place among the leaders or the members, in every case in Acts there is a resolution so the Gospel kept advancing."
Iorg closed the service by asking attendees to form prayer groups "to call out to God that we would do our part to advance the Gospel in the face of any opposition we will face."
During the chapel service, Iorg recognized Gateway's 12 new trustees who were on campus for orientation: Bob Bender, Colorado; Gilroy Chow, Mississippi; Michael Day, Tennessee; Wally DeShon, Arizona; Louis Egipciaco, Florida; Carol Geng, New York; Marsha Gray, Washington; David Hill, Ohio; Myron Person, Washington; Lance Rogers, Texas; Kevin Scott, Massachusetts; and Barbara Smith, California.
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FIRST-PERSON: How's your church doing?
by Gary Ledbetter
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) -- I made an unusual number of visits to the doctor(s) this year. Nothing unusual going on except I had neglected normally annual things for too long and had to catch up with the labs and scans and pokes.
I knew I weighed more than I should but it wasn't real until I was standing in the hall in the clinic looking at the scales. It seemed I could hear a judge's gavel as the very young woman behind me called out the number. Hard facts are facts whether we face them or not. With the help of a small army of medical professionals I have faced mine this year.
It's not always fun to face objective appraisals of our health or work. Maybe that is why it has become so difficult to get some churches and their leaders to examine and report the statistics of their own ministries.
State conventions in general struggle to get our churches to report basic information on an Annual Church Profile. It is pretty basic, too. At one point the ACP seemed to rival the U.S. Census report -- baptisms by demographic, mission training attendance grouped in six categories, music ministry by age-graded choirs and much more. Most current reports now list fewer questions, such as membership, worship attendance, Bible study average, baptisms and giving. Pastors or church administrators could complete the information in short order.
But why should you?
Facing the facts
As in my story of doctor visits, it is beneficial to know how you're doing. It's not enough to feel fine or to think you're in better shape than "that guy"; what do the facts indicate about how you're doing? But it's just numbers, you might say. Sure, but whether that number is the number of people you've been privileged to baptize this year or an indication of high blood pressure, numbers stand for something that we should consider important.
Benefit from analysts
The SBC has a number of people who study how we are doing at our most important tasks. Not only are they assessing the trends of our denominational groupings of churches, they are also able to help you see trends in your own ministry -- even to help you seek reasonable solutions. You could do it yourself but it is hard to be objective about your own work. You could hire someone, but they'd likely ask for much more information than the ACP's basic questions.
Be honest with your sister churches
We do not control one another but we are connected in our Great Commission work. You have a row to hoe and the church down the street does too. Are you making progress? Do you have something you might add to the understanding of another church facing the same challenges? Is there a reason you'd dread another pastor or church knowing how your ministry fares? I know one pastor friend who considers such reporting to be immodest or distracting and he will not participate. That's his conscience and I leave it to him, but I also know of at least one case of a pastor who stopped reporting because his ministry was declining and he wanted to move to another place. Is it easier to report your stats when the trend is up? Are you at peace with the heart behind any self-conscious pride?
Feed your analysts
From a denominational perspective, the more information we can gather about the progress of our mission together, the more on-target our efforts will be to help churches. We know anecdotally how churches are doing and we have reports from some quarters that suggest needs, but the picture is less hazy as we have more reports.
Build an effective and relevant denomination
The work denominational employees are about is a response to what churches have directed, enabled and suggested by their specific needs. It's your work, then. If you want it to succeed, help those who serve your church know what needs to be done. A church or regional collection of churches whose numbers are all down suggests a completely different situation than a church whose baptisms are way up and Bible study numbers are leveled off or declining. Seeing signs of more and less health in a church prompts your servants to reach out for more details and to offer help or encouragement specific to your church. The help will be increasingly less relevant if we aren't directed by facts to areas, or churches, in greatest need.
The fact that church reporting has become easier (you can mail your answers in, you can register them online, you can give the information by email; folks can even call you and fill out the report over the phone) but still has declined in percentage suggests that making it easier is not the issue.
As is the case with some other aspects of denominational life, I've heard it said that the denomination is irrelevant, that it adds little of value to a church's ministry. That is more likely to be true if we have no report from the churches. Simply reporting can be a first step to accessing expertise and resources that could change the direction of the reports you make in coming years.
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LifeWay to host Faith Leads Tech conference
by Aaron Wilson
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
NASHVILLE (BP) -- This fall the intersection of theology and technology will meet at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tenn.
LifeWay is hosting its first-ever Faith Leads Tech conference on Nov. 9 to bring together followers of Christ who are passionate about technology and innovation.
"The vision for this conference revolves around inspiring Christians by sharing what God is doing to grow His Kingdom through products and apps that exist in the world today -- or that could exist tomorrow," said Kevin Old, a front-end architect at LifeWay and one of the creators of the event.
The one-day conference will host two-dozen TED-style talks from Christian professionals including software engineers, data scientists, church communication directors, entrepreneurs and pastors. They will address topics such as:
-- How a gospel mindset can impact technology
-- Ways Christians can steward technology
-- How artificial intelligence can serve as a tool for ministry
-- Why pastors and theologians need designers and coders
-- The need for agile leadership in Christian culture
"Our hope for the conference is to build community among believers in Jesus Christ, highlight the shared struggles and successes of tech-minded ministries and rally Christians around common goals to solve Kingdom issues," Old said.
This will be the third event LifeWay has hosted for high-tech enthusiasts in the last 12 months. Last February, LifeWay held a Code for the Kingdom hackathon where software developers collaborated on creating new technology to serve the church. LifeWay also presented a young coders workshop for kids in third grade and up.
"LifeWay is a leader in technical solutions for churches," Old said. "Part of the reason we're hosting this conference is because we want to always be listening, adapting, and meeting the needs of the bride of Christ."
Learn more about the Faith Leads Tech conference and register for the event at FaithLeads.Tech.
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Bible Study: Sept. 9, 2018
by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week's Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies For Life curriculum.
Bible Passage: James 2:1-10
Discussion Questions:
-- When have you been welcomed into someone's home with open arms?
-- Why do people so quickly make value judgments based on external appearances?
-- How can partiality be a problem for a church trying to be welcoming of others?
-- What does it really mean to love your neighbor?
Food for Thought:
Moving can be hard. Packing up a home isn't an easy task, nor is the physical process of moving. You must learn new routes to the bank, the doctor's office, the grocery store and church. Memories are often packed away in boxes that take months to empty. Everything seems new and nothing seems familiar. It is an unsettling time of life.
The good news is that this won't last forever. Eventually people make new friends, learn traffic patterns and routes to the places they need to go, and houses begin to feel like homes again. New friendships form and life goes on.
As we reset our lives and develop new friendships, we tend to gravitate to people like us. It's easier to share life with people who have common interests and backgrounds. In the church, though, this can work against making the church feel like a home to its guests. Sometimes we have such strong ties to friends like us that we forget to include the newer people among us, especially if they are slightly different from us or the crowd we run with.
Rather than overlooking others or showing preferential treatment, it is good for us to remember the example of Christ. He loves all people the same -- and we are called to do likewise. In this week's Bible study, we'll learn more about embracing everyone with open arms as we study from the book of James.
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God's Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found on the Internet at www.biblestudiesforlife.com.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.
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Immigrant assistance to be N.C. Baptist outreach
by Mike Creswell, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
CARY, N.C. (BP) -- North Carolina Baptists are stepping up their ministry to immigrants.
A new Baptist Immigrant Services (BIS) ministry being gradually launched by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) will set up a yet-unspecified number of immigration ministry centers across the state. The first center is being established in Lincolnton.
Churches and associations will be encouraged to establish a variety of ministry efforts to engage immigrants with the Gospel. In addition, the ministry centers will be staffed by individuals trained and qualified to help immigrants understand their rights and immigration options.
As those ministry centers develop in the coming months, they will be able to provide information and a biblical/theological understanding of immigration to help equip churches to meet and minister to their immigrant neighbors. Ministering to immigrants could include hosting immigrant families, providing hospitality and basic fellowship to them, or generally helping the newcomers become integrated in local communities.
The convention has named two leaders for the ministry: Longtime staffer Amaury Santos and contract worker Larry Phillips. Both Santos and Phillips earlier served with the convention as Hispanic church planters and each has held several other ministry assignments.
Santos, who has worked with the North Carolina convention since 2007, is a native of Dominican Republic. He previously planted churches in Florida and later worked with the Florida Baptist Convention in church planting in partnership with the North American Mission Board.
Phillips served as a Southern Baptist missionary to Peru before relocating to North Carolina to serve with the state convention, often using his fluent Spanish. He is a South Carolina native who served 12 years as a pastor in North Carolina.
Both Santos and Phillips hold multiple degrees, including doctorates from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.
A new challenge in missions
As in other states, immigrants have poured into North Carolina in recent decades, and Baptists have responded to these newcomers in many ways, from planting ethnic language churches and conducting evangelistic outreach, to teaching English, and providing food and clothing, to name just a few.
Immigrants represent a new, large-scale challenge in missions. According to research conducted by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, more than 330 languages are spoken in the state by the thousands of people who have come from every part of the world to live. North Carolina Baptists are planting new churches among some 60 Asian language/culture groups, for example.
Five years ago the state convention launched its "Impacting Lostness through Disciple-making" initiative. Evangelizing individuals in North Carolina from among every language, ethnic and cultural group is one of the foundational tenets of the strategy.
As part of the effort, eight strategy coordinators now seek to rally Baptists across North Carolina to reach the lost for Christ, including immigrants and refugees. The BSCNC has sought to identify individuals from every people group residing in the state, paying special attention to those identified by the International Mission Board (IMB) as unreached and unengaged.
According to the IMB, an unreached people group is a people group in which less than 2 percent of the population are evangelical Christians. A people group is considered unengaged when there is no church planting strategy consistent with evangelical faith and practice currently being implemented.
'A divine opportunity'
Messengers at the 2015 BSCNC annual meeting adopted a resolution that described the arrival of immigrants as "a divine opportunity" and called on churches to "pursue opportunities to tangibly meet the needs of immigrants within their community as a demonstration of the love of Christ and in order to build relationships so as to more effectively be able to proclaim the hope of the gospel."
The resolution noted that North Carolina Baptists may not all agree on specific public policy responses, but noted that "we are united in our call to extend love and compassion to those who are vulnerable and to reach all people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Also, the resolution called on churches to reach all people "regardless of country of origin, language, and that we oppose any form of bigotry, mistreatment, or exploitation of any person made in the image of God."
The Southern Baptist Convention also has passed several resolutions on immigrants and refugees, calling Southern Baptist churches to respond more to the nation's influx of immigrants.
The adoption of North Carolina resolution prompted BSCNC staff, in consultation with the convention's board of directors, to set up the new ministry to serve immigrants. North Carolina is either the first or one of a very few state conventions across the nation to establish a ministry like this with ministry centers and representatives who have received U.S. Department of Justice accreditation. In fact, most church work helping resettle immigrants has been done by Roman Catholics.
When a four-member Baptist team that included Santos and Phillips visited the Mexican border at Nogales, Mexico, in June, a Catholic worker was startled to hear Baptists were looking to help immigrants.
"This isn't you," he told them.
"It's not where we've been, but it's where we want to be," Phillips responded.
'Welcome the stranger'
The new BIS centers will offer immigrants legal help with negotiating the often confusing and complex laws controlling U.S. immigration. Also, the centers will help churches better "welcome the stranger" and "treat them as one of their own (native-born)."
Phillips and Santos have been partnering with the Raleigh-based Council on Immigrant Relations (CIR), a nonprofit organization established in 2006 to help churches and civic organizations build relationships with international communities.
CIR director John Faison, who attends Crossroads Community Church in Raleigh, has been providing guidance to the convention in setting up the new centers to aid immigrants. Faison said the goal of the ministry is "to effectively show God's heart for the vulnerable. The ministry is not so much to immigrants as it is a ministry for the churches to participate with God's heart for the vulnerable."
Because immigration is controlled by the federal government, those who are not lawyers but want to provide legal counsel to immigrants must be accredited by the Department of Justice through its Office of Legal Access Programs. The process entails extensive training, mastery of a complex set of laws and passing an examination. The government has made this option available to nonprofit organizations and churches because of the high numbers of immigrants involved.
Phillips is now an accredited representative with the Department of Justice. He is working with CIR in Raleigh and in the El Centro Latino (The Latin Center), an immigration center in Hickory recognized by the Department of Justice. Santos is working to obtain his accreditation status.
At the Baptist convention's first immigration ministry center in Lincolnton, the accredited representative will be Bobby Farmer, ministry coordinator at Hull's Grove Baptist Church in nearby Vale.
Farmer is completing the final steps to receive his Department of Justice accreditation. A building has been acquired on Main Street in Lincolnton for the ministry, which will be operated in cooperation with the South Fork Baptist Association, the Council on Immigrant Relations and the Baptist state convention. A separate, nonprofit group will provide start-up funding to help with the building costs.
Phillips said the expectation is that immigration ministry centers will be gradually set up across North Carolina. Convention workers subsequently will help other associations and churches acquire the training and accreditation needed to open similar ministries. The start-up process will soon be underway in a second city, Phillips said.
Santos added, "We will not be activists taking political positions on immigration, but we will help immigrants who are here get sound legal counsel as they file forms or meet with immigration officials.
"People say they want immigration done legally, and that's what we'll be trying to do -- help people do things according to the law."
Faison said the ministry centers will provide a needed service that will help immigrants navigate the complexities of the legal system.
"We'll be providing immigrants with a basic understanding of the law so they can know both their rights and their responsibilities as they have a legal presence in the country," Faison said, adding that immigration judges are eager for immigrants to have this kind of support as cases come before the courts.
"I'm sometimes asked why people wanting to live in America don't just sign up and become citizens," Faison said. "The answer is ... there's a whole process required for citizenship and the vast majority of the world's people do not qualify. Even doing things right is complicated and can take a long time to complete."
Workers with the new Baptist Immigrant Services will lead a breakout session during the BSCNC annual meeting in Greensboro in November.
Hispanics are North Carolina's largest ethnic group by far. They come from more than 20 nations and number more than 1 million. According to U.S. census data, the estimated Hispanic/Latino population makes up 9.5 percent of North Carolina's total population. Those estimates are even higher in some areas of the state.
While the traditional notion is that all Hispanics are Catholic, at least in background, a 2018 LifeWay Research study found that Hispanics now make up between 12 and 14 percent of all U.S. evangelical Christians. That suggests that Hispanics are probably more open to engage with Baptists about matters of faith than some would assume.
Hispanic Baptist churches with BSCNC involvement now number nearly 200, more than double the number just 20 years ago. William Ortega, the convention's Hispanic church planting consultant, is training and coaching dozens of church planters to expand the work. Fruitland Baptist Bible College in Hendersonville, meanwhile, offers a full Spanish-language study track and the BSCNC has several ministries focused on Hispanics.
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Anne Graham Lotz seeks 'healing' from breast cancer
by Diana Chandler
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
RALEIGH, N.C. (BP) -- Billy Graham's daughter Anne Graham Lotz has breast cancer, she announced Sept. 4, and is seeking prayers for healing that would glorify God.
"Each day since the diagnosis God has given me promises and encouragement from His Word," Lotz said at AnneGrahamLotz.org. "God has been ... and is ... my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in this trouble. Therefore, I will not fear," she said, evoking Psalm 46:1.
"But He also has made it very clear that my healing will be in answer to not just my prayer, but the prayers of others for me."
Lotz, the founder and president of AnGeL Ministries, has surgery scheduled Sept. 18 to treat the illness at North Carolina Cancer Hospital in Chapel Hill.
"Would you pray for me?" she asked. "Pray for God to heal me in whichever way He deems would bring Him the most glory. Healing without surgery, with surgery, with surgery and follow-up treatment, or through the greater miracle of the resurrection."
Lotz was diagnosed on the afternoon of Aug. 17, she said, noting the date was three years after the death of her husband Daniel Milton Lotz.
"When I realized the strange 'coincidence' of the timing, I came to the chilling conclusion that it was an assignment from the enemy," she wrote. "But just as that thought was forming, I heard the soft, gentle whisper of the Spirit, reminding me that it was on a Friday, during that very same time ... between 3:00 and 3:30 in the afternoon ... that God's Passover Lamb was sacrificed."
Billy Graham described his daughter as "the best preacher in the family," it has widely been quoted, and the New York Times has named her one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. The 70-year-old speaks internationally and is a best-selling, award-winning author of several books. She blogs at AnneGrahamLotz.org.
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TRUSTEES: ERLC names Mohler, Waggoner for key awards
by Tom Strode
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Trustees of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission approved a seminary president and a courtroom advocate as recipients of the Southern Baptist entity's 2018 awards Wednesday (Sept. 5) during their annual meeting.
The ERLC board unanimously endorsed R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, for the Distinguished Christian Service Award and Kristen Waggoner of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) for the Religious Liberty Award.
The trustees -- in their meeting at the SBC Building in Nashville -- also unanimously:
-- Authorized the inclusion of legal fellows as a category of members of the ERLC's Research Institute.
-- Passed responses to two motions at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting on protecting against sexual predators by saying the ERLC will partner with the Sexual Abuse Presidential Study initiated by J.D. Greear, the new convention president, to help address the issues involved.
-- Approved a 2018-2019 operating budget of $4.34 million, an increase of nearly $104,000 from the current financial year.
Russell Moore, who has completed five years as the ERLC's president, commended Mohler's leadership as president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his statesmanship in the SBC in recommending him for the Distinguished Service Award. Mohler is marking his 25th anniversary as Southern Seminary's president.
Mohler labored to return the seminary to its "theologically orthodox foundations," Moore said in his written recommendation to the trustees.
He has guided Southern "to become a leading institution for evangelical theological education," said Moore, who served as dean of the seminary's school of theology before taking his current post. Mohler's work "with the current and next generation of pastors has shaped the future of evangelical Christianity in no small measure," Moore said.
Mohler "has been a clear and consistent voice proclaiming the truth of the Gospel and its implications for every area of life" while addressing both Christian and secular audiences, Moore said.
Waggoner, ADF's senior vice president of its U.S. legal division and communications, "has distinguished herself as a true champion of religious liberty and rights of conscience," Moore said in his written recommendation of her for the religious liberty award.
Waggoner argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop in an important religious freedom case in the last term. The justices ruled in a 7-2 decision that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission violated the religious free exercise clause of the First Amendment by penalizing Phillips for declining to design and decorate a cake for the wedding of two men.
She also has represented Barronelle Stutzman, a Southern Baptist florist who has been involved in a lengthy legal battle after she declined to design flowers for a same-sex wedding. In late June, the Supreme Court annulled a Washington Supreme Court ruling against Stutzman and ordered it to reconsider its previous decision in light of the justices' Masterpiece Cakeshop opinion.
Waggoner "has helped to protect and extend the cause of religious liberty for generations to come," Moore said.
The Distinguished Service Award is named after Richard Land, who served as the ERLC's president from 1988-2013. The Religious Liberty Award is named in honor of John Leland, a Baptist pastor in Colonial America who was instrumental in helping secure religious freedom in the Constitution's First Amendment.
SBC motions, staff announcements
The trustees responded to a motion at the SBC's annual meeting in June that the ERLC study the feasibility of establishing an online database to help protect churches from sexual predators. The trustee-approved reply said it appears the motion will be addressed by the new sexual abuse study that Greear has initiated. The ERLC will work to help provide a report at next year's meeting, the trustees said in their response.
During his report, Moore made these staff announcements:
-- Elizabeth Graham, the ERLC's director of events, is a new member of the president's now six-person cabinet.
-- Andrew Walker, previously director of policy studies, will be director of research and senior fellow for Christian ethics.
Moore honored Matthew Hawkins, a policy director in Washington, for his 17 years of service with the ERLC. Hawkins is now working on a doctor of philosophy degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The board reelected Trevor Atwood, pastor of City Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn., as chairman, and Roger Manao, pastor of Philadelphia (Pa.) Bible Church International, as secretary. The trustees approved David Prince, pastor of preaching and vision at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., as vice chairman.
In its written report, the ERLC cited the following among its events and initiatives during the last year:
-- The MLK50 conference on racial reconciliation co-hosted with The Gospel Coalition in April in Memphis.
-- A pre-conference to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in June in Dallas co-hosted with The Village Church in partnership with Southern Seminary on the Gospel and the future.
-- Two sessions of the ERLC Academy on Capitol Hill for more than 100 congressional staffers and non-governmental organization workers.
-- Two friend-of-the-court briefs on the winning side with the Supreme Court and several more briefs with lower courts.
-- A successful coalition for Congress to restore the adoption tax credit, which has helped many families to adopt domestically and internationally, in the Internal Revenue Code.
The ERLC continued its growth in communications during the last year, according to its written report to trustees, including:
-- A record social media presence of 45.9 million impressions.
-- A reach of more than 9 million people on the ERLC Facebook page and 1.9 million viewers on Facebook Live.
-- An addition of 6,000 followers on Twitter and a total of nearly 9,000 followers on Instagram.
Three trustees were recognized upon completion of their service to the ERLC: vice chairman Barry Creamer of Texas; Tami Fitzgerald of North Carolina; and J.D. Traylor of Indiana.
The board approved Brian Key, pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Kansas City, Mo., to replace Tammie Andrews as a trustee from Missouri. Andrews resigned because of health needs in her family.
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Cincinnati shooting spurs Baptists 'to bring hope'
by David Roach
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
CINCINNATI (BP) -- A shooting rampage in Cincinnati that left four dead and two others injured today (Sept. 6) led a city councilman to request aid from the community. Within minutes Cincinnati Baptists began responding.
An unidentified gunman entered Cincinnati's 30-story Fifth Third Center through a loading dock at 9:10 a.m. local time and opened fire in the lobby, according to media reports. He killed three people and injured others before police shot and killed him.
In the aftermath, a Baptist who works at a local news station heard city councilman Jeff Pastor say donations of water and snacks would be appreciated for the crowds standing outside after streets were closed. The news employee called his pastor, Josh Carter of Clough Pike Baptist Church in Cincinnati. Carter also serves as evangelism catalyst for the Cincinnati Area Baptist Association (CABA). He contacted Mark Snowden, the association's director of missional leadership, and church planter Josh McKinney was dispatched to buy snacks and water and head to the scene.
The association's prayer team was alerted to pray as well.
"Cincinnati is a mission field with one million people not claimed by any religious organization," Snowden told Baptist Press in an email. "When we hear of tragedies like the shooting today, I believe beyond the shared grief and need for ministry to affected families, the Lord uses horrific events like this to spur us onward as intentional disciple-makers.
"Who do we know? What do they need? And how can they embrace the Gospel for spiritual transformation? We draw close to Jesus at times like this. And His heartbeat continues to pound out anguish for a fallen world. How can we not be our brother's keeper when his blood is splattered all over the ground?" Snowden asked.
Witnesses told the Cincinnati Enquirer "there was definitely a lot of blood" and up to 15 shots were fired.
McKinney, who lives two blocks from the site of the shooting, assembled a team of four people to offer prayer, the water and snacks and a Gospel witness for first responders and others at the scene. McKinney is a North American Mission Board church planter working in cooperation with the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio and the CABA.
"Brokenness is pervasive," McKinney told BP, fighting back tears. "... We shouldn't lose sight of our time we have here to engage a culture that is hurting and bring a hope for something better. We can talk voting, we can talk justice, we can talk social justice. But unless we engage the hurt behind it all, these kinds of things aren't going to change."
Carter, the pastor who helped launch the ministry reaction, wrote on Facebook to the church he leads, "Please be in prayer for the families affected by the active shooter situation which happened at the 5th/3rd building by Fountain Square this morning. I want you to know that I have been in contact with those that I know of that work on or near the site of the shooting, and that, as far as I know, no members of Clough were injured. However, ... undoubtedly, our church family has friends and co-workers that were involved in this tragedy."
Snowden offered suggestions for other churches and associations that find themselves positioned to respond to mass shootings and other local tragedies.
"My counsel to pastors wanting to help in situations like this is to check with church members immediately to see who might be affected. Send an email blast to church members saying how grieved you are, a few facts based on current news reports (or links), and express that you're monitoring the situation. Your associational office can help by coordinating ministry opportunities," Snowden said.
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Los salarios de los pastores no le siguen el paso a la inflación
by Carol Pipes
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Durante los últimos dos años, las remuneraciones para los pastores y los empleados de las iglesias bautistas del sur que trabajan tiempo completo se están quedando atrás en relación con el crecimiento del costo de vida. Además, la cobertura de su seguro médico sigue siendo poca, esto según el Estudio de Remuneración en las Iglesias de la CBS, hecho en el 2018.
El estudio bienal es un proyecto en conjunto entre las convenciones bautistas estatales, GuideStone Finalcial Resources y LifeWay Christian Resources. Se colectaron datos, anónimamente, sobre la remuneración y las congregaciones entre los ministros y el personal de oficina y limpieza de las iglesias bautistas del sur y las misiones que funcionan como iglesias.
Según el reporte del 2018, las iglesias bautistas del sur usan un promedio del 51 por ciento de su presupuesto en gastos de personal. Este fue el primer año que se ha analizado este tipo de gasto.
Aumenta la remuneración
Durante los últimos dos años, la remuneración (salario más gastos de vivienda) aumentó el 3.8 por ciento para los pastores bautistas del sur, con contrato de tiempo completo. Para los ministros de tiempo completo en el personal de la iglesia aumentó 1.5 por ciento y 2.3 por ciento para el personal de oficina trabajando tiempo completo. El Índice Nacional de Precios al Consumidos reportado por el Departamento del Trabajo de los EEUU (CPI-U) ha aumentado 4.6 por ciento durante el mismo periodo de dos años.
"Después de un periodo de inflación muy baja, el costo de vida se ha ido ajustando al crecimiento típico en los precios al consumidor," dijo Scott McConnell, director ejecutivo de LifeWay Research. "Las iglesias que no pueden reflejarlo en sus sueldos van a afectar a su personal."
Los factores que se relacionan con la compensación para el pastor principal incluyen la asistencia semanal a la iglesia, el nivel académico, y la cantidad total de años de experiencia. Las iglesias grandes tienden a pagar más a sus pastores, según muestra el estudio. Por cada 100 asistentes adicionales, la compensación para un pastor en una situación similar aumenta un promedio de $3,641 en su salario anual.
Una remuneración mayor también está conectada con su nivel educativo. Quienes cuentan con un grado universitario pueden ganar un promedio de $5,681 más que los pastores con cualificaciones similares, pero sin educación universitaria o un grado de bachiller asociado. Estudios de maestría o doctorado corresponden con un aumento en la compensación de $5,754 y $10,868, respectivamente, cuando se les compara con los graduados de una licenciatura.
Los años de experiencia también aumentan la remuneración. Los pastores ganaron $358 adicionales por cada año de experiencia en el ministerio. En contraste, por cada año adicional de edad del pastor comparado con otro individuo similar predice una compensación de unos $500 más.
"Es verdad que no puedes ganar un año más de experiencia sin envejecer un año también. Pero la edad y la experiencia están en relaciones opuestas en cuanto a la remuneración para el pastor," dijo McConnell. "Cuando la edad y otros factores son similares, el aumento en el salario se relaciona con una mayor experiencia. Cuando la experiencia laboral y otros factores son similares, un aumento en la edad está relacionado con un salario menor. Quienes se convierten en pastores al pasar de los años reciben una remuneración menor."
Disminución de las prestaciones
En general, el crecimiento en el valor de todo el paquete de compensación (salario, fondo para el retiro, gastos de vivienda y otras prestaciones, incluyendo en seguro médico) para los pastores principales (4.4 por ciento) es un poco menor que la velocidad de la inflación. Sin embargo, el crecimiento en los paquetes de compensación para los ministros de tiempo completo (1.3 por ciento) y para el personal de la oficina (1.5 por ciento) cayó por debajo del ritmo de la inflación.
"Siempre nos hemos esforzado por asegurarnos que las iglesias cuiden a su personal apropiadamente," dijo Greg Love, quien provee liderazgo para el equipo de GuideStone relacionado con el fondo para el retiro de los empleados de las iglesias.
"Una iglesia puede maximizar sus recursos limitados al implementar un plan de remuneración sano, estructurado y no un sistema de un solo pago. Esto le permite a la iglesia proveer salarios y prestaciones adecuadas para sus empleados y sus familias, incluyendo cobertura de seguro de vida y gastos médicos," dijo Love. "Además, le da el poder a la iglesia para que pueda proveer estas importantísimas contribuciones para el fondo de jubilación de sus obreros ministeriales. Estas tareas tan significativas se pueden lograr mientras la iglesia navega una mayordomía financiera inteligente, capacita a los creyentes para la obra del ministerio y se esfuerza por lograr un impacto en el Reino."
GuideStone provee muchos recursos para las iglesias que estén buscando establecer, restructurar o evaluar sus paquetes de salarios y prestaciones para sus ministros y personal. Los recursos gratuitos están a su disposición en GuideStone.org/CompensationPlanning.
El estudio del 2018 encontró que la mitad (50 por ciento) de las iglesias que participaron en el sondeo proveen algún tipo de cobertura médica para el pastor principal que trabaja tiempo completo. Este hallazgo coincide con el de hace dos años, pero es 60 por ciento menor comparado con el 2014.
Veintitrés por ciento de las iglesias pagan el seguro médico del pastor principal y su familia, el 17 por ciento lo provee para el pastor principal y su familia y el 9 por ciento solamente para el pastor principal. La mitad de las iglesias no proveen cobertura de gastos médicos.
Las iglesias con una mayor asistencia promedio semanal tienden a proveer algún tipo de cobertura de gastos médicos para el pastor principal. Casi tres cuartos (74 por ciento) de las iglesias con una asistencia de 250 o más personas en su culto semanal proveen por lo menos algo de seguro médico. La mitad (52 por ciento) de las iglesias con una asistencia semanal promedio de 100-249 personas proveen algo de seguro médico, un porcentaje mayor que las iglesias con una asistencia promedio de 50-99 (44 por ciento) o las iglesias con menos de 50 personas (34 por ciento).
Algunas iglesias también proveen prestaciones adicionales en su seguro para el pastor principal, incluyendo seguro de vida y/o seguro de accidentes, seguro en caso de discapacidad (25 por ciento), seguro dental (24 por ciento) y seguro para la vista (11 por ciento).
Una variedad de factores también influencian la cantidad de tiempo de vacaciones que recibe un pastor. Las iglesias más grandes tienden a dar más tiempo, comparado con los pastores que tienen capacitación similar que reciben un día adicional por cada 271 asistentes semanales. Las vacaciones también varían un poco según la región. Los pastores en el sur del país tienden a recibir menos tiempo vacacional, con un promedio de 1.8 días menos que los pastores en circunstancias similares, pero radicando en el noreste; 0.8 menos días para quienes viven en el oeste central y 1.1 menos días para los del oeste del país.
Los pastores con una licenciatura, maestría o doctorado añaden un promedio de 3.8 o 4.8 días de vacaciones, respectivamente, comparados con aquellos que no cuentan con una educación universitaria.
El sondeo 2018 realizado a través del internet estuvo abierto desde el 1º de febrero hasta el 6 de julio del 2018. La información colectada anónimamente de los 6,894 pastores de tiempo completo que respondieron este sondeo está disponible en www.lifeway.com/compensationsurvey.
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El equipo de búsqueda presidencial del SWBTS enfocará la 1ª reunión a la oración
by SWBTS y el personal de BP
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- La primera reunión de búsqueda presidencial del equipo del Seminario Teológico Southwestern (SWBTS), programada para los días 10 y 11 de setiembre, se enfocará en la oración, de acuerdo con un comunicado del 31 de agosto del presidente del grupo Danny Roberts.
"A nombre de todo el equipo de búsqueda presidencial del Seminario Teológico Southwestern, les pedimos que se unan a nosotros en oración," dijo Roberts, pastor ejecutivo de la Iglesia North Richland Hills Baptist de Texas.
Roberts dedicó una oración en el comunicado. "Poderoso Padre, guíanos hacia el hombre que tú has escogido para tu excelente escuela. Danos sabiduría y claridad para reconocer tu voluntad y para seguirla en el proceso," oró él. "Te pedimos que, como un resultado de este llamado, tú uses a este hombre para entrenar y animar a muchos hombres y a muchas mujeres para que 'vayan y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo' (Mateo 28:19)."
El equipo de nueve miembros fue nombrado por el presidente del consejo del Southwestern, Devin Uechkert y anunciado a toda la mesa directiva el 23 de agosto.
Además de Roberts, el comité incluye a: Denise Ewing (III.), Jamie Green (en general, secretario del comité de búsqueda), Guy Grimes (Calif.), Todd Houston (N.C.), Tom James (Kent.), Philip Levant (en general), Andre Palmer (N.Y.) y Calvin Wittman (Colo.) vicepresidente de la mesa directiva del comité de búsqueda). Uechkert, pastor de First Baptist Church en Georgetown, Texas, y el vicepresidente de la junta directiva Connie Hancock, pastor de Springboro Baptist Church de Ohio, son miembros ex oficio del comité.
El comité nominará a un sucesor para el anterior presidente del Southwestern, Paige Patterson, quien fue transferido al estatus de presidente emérito en mayo y rescindido menos de una semana después. Patterson había estado en la mira desde finales de abril debido a las declaraciones que él había hecho sobre el abuso doméstico y la apariencia física de las mujeres. Él también atrajo la crítica por su manejo de las acusaciones de abuso sexual en 2003 en el Seminario Teológico Bautista Southeastern, donde sirvió como presidente de 1992 a 2003.
Roberts les pidió a los bautistas del sur que enviaran sugerencias, nominaciones y currículos a swbtspresidentialsearch@gmail.com, "nuestros medios de comunicación para este proceso." El comité recomendó que las comunicaciones sean enviadas al comité para el 1º de octubre. "Todo lo que recibamos para esa fecha se volverá parte del proceso inicial," dijo Roberts.
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El Programa Cooperativo nacional 2.59% arriba de lo proyectado
by Por el personal de BP
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Las contribuciones a la fecha a la Convención Bautista del Sur (SBC) para las misiones nacionales e internacionales y los ministerios, recibidas por el Comité Ejecutivo de la SBC están 2.59 por ciento arriba de las proyecciones presupuestarias a la fecha, y 0.01 por ciento arriba de las contribuciones recibidas durante el mismo periodo del año pasado, de acuerdo con un comunicado de prensa de D. August Boto, presidente interino del Comité Ejecutivo de la SBC y vicepresidente ejecutivo de política de la convención.
El total incluye ingresos de convenciones estatales y compañerismos, iglesias e individuos para su distribución de acuerdo con el Presupuesto de Asignaciones del Programa Cooperativo de la SBC 2017-2018.
Hasta el 31 de agosto, las donaciones recibidas por el Comité Ejecutivo para su distribución a través del Presupuesto de Asignaciones del Programa Cooperativo durante los primeros 11 meses del año fiscal de la convención, totalizaron $180,552,467.92. Las donaciones están $4,552,467.92 por encima de los $176 millones presupuestados para el último año para apoyar los ministerios de la Convención Bautista del Sur a nivel mundial y a lo largo de Norte América, y $18,533.30 arriba de los $180,533,934.62 recibidos para finales de agosto de 2017.
Los aportes designados de $190,000,448.45 para el mismo período del último año están 1.69 por ciento, o $3,157,163.59 arriba de las donaciones de $186,843,284.86 recibidas para ese período del año anterior. Este total incluye solamente las donaciones recibidas y distribuidas por el Comité Ejecutivo y no reflejan las donaciones designadas contribuidas directamente a entidades de la SBC.
Los ingresos de asignación de agosto del Programa Cooperativo para la obra de la SBC totalizaron $15,652,713.29. Mientras tanto, las donaciones designadas recibidas el mes anterior ascendieron a $5,951,651.47.
El presupuesto adoptado por la convención es distribuido 50.41 por ciento a las misiones internacionales a través de la IMB, 22.79 por ciento a las misiones de Norte América a través de la NAMB, 22.16 por ciento a la educación teológica a través de los seis seminarios de la convención, 2.99 por ciento al presupuesto operativo de la SBC y 1.65 por ciento a la Comisión de Libertad Religiosa y Ética. Recursos Financieros GuideStone y Recursos Cristianos LifeWay son autosostenibles y no reciben fondos del Programa Cooperativo.
De acuerdo con el presupuesto para 2017-2018 adoptado por la SBC en su reunión anual en Phoenix, si la convención excede su meta de presupuesto anual de $192 millones, la porción de la IMB pasará a 53.4 por ciento de cualquier excedente en los ingresos del Presupuesto de Asignaciones del Programa Cooperativo. Otras entidades ministeriales de la SBC recibirán los porcentajes adoptados y el Comité Ejecutivo de la SBC y la porción del presupuesto de operación serán reducidos a 0.0 por ciento de cualquier excedente.
El Programa Cooperativo es un programa unificado de donaciones a través del cual una iglesia local tiene la capacidad de contribuir a varios ministerios de su estado o de la convención bautista regional, y a las varias misiones y ministerios de la Convención Bautista del Sur, con cada contribución. Las convenciones bautistas estatales y regionales retienen una porción de las contribuciones de las iglesias al Programa Cooperativo para apoyar el trabajo en sus respectivas áreas y reenvían un porcentaje para las causas nacionales e internacionales de la Convención Bautista del Sur. El porcentaje de distribución de los estados queda a discreción de los mensajeros de cada convención a través de la adopción del presupuesto anual de la convención estatal. El total en esta entrega refleja solamente la porción de los recibos del Programa Cooperativo de la SBC.
Los ingresos del presupuesto de asignaciones del PC recibidos por el Comité Ejecutivo son reportados mensualmente a los ejecutivos de las entidades de la convención, a las oficinas estatales, a las publicaciones denominacionales y son publicados en línea en www.cpmissions.net/CPReports.
El total de fin de mes representa el dinero recibido por el Comité Ejecutivo al cierre del último día hábil de cada mes. Las oscilaciones mes a mes reflejan un número de factores, incluyendo el número de domingos en un mes dado, el día del mes en que las iglesias remiten sus contribuciones para el PC a sus convenciones estatales y el momento en que las convenciones estatales le reenvían la porción nacional de su contribución al PC al Comité Ejecutivo.
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'Es el momento': El ejecutivo de Wyoming Lynn Nikkel se retira
by Diana Chandler
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
CASPER, Wyo. (BP) -- Lynn Nikkel se retira después de más de 13 años de liderazgo ejecutivo de la Red de Misión Bautista del Sur de Wyoming en busca de oportunidades de ministerio en Oklahoma.
"Es el momento," le dijo Nikkel a Baptist Press el 30 de agosto. "He estado aquí a través de muchos cambios y transiciones, y es el momento de que la red tome una nueva dirección, tenga un liderazgo fresco con ojos frescos para que avance hacia el futuro.
"Y también es tiempo para que mi familia y yo … avancemos y también hagamos un cambio," dijo Nikkel. Él deja la red, anteriormente la Convención Bautista del Sur de Wyoming, en diciembre, y planea reubicarse en Oklahoma donde tiene a miembros de la familia y ha pastoreado dos congregaciones.
"Me encantaría pastorear una congregación pequeña que Dios abra para mí," dijo Nikkel.
Él se unió a la red en mayo de 2005 como director ejecutivo y ha tenido ese puesto, retirado bajo el recién adoptado título de misionero estatal.
Nikkel deja una convención estatal que se ha ajustado a los cambios denominacionales a nivel nacional y local, dijo, que le permite a la red "ser administradores responsables" de los recursos disponibles "y trabajar juntos más de cerca.
"Hemos hecho ajustes y hemos hecho más nuestro al personal y los recursos ministeriales," dijo. "Hemos hecho algunos cambios a nombre de la convención para comunicar más que somos una red de iglesias que estamos acá para alcanzar Wyoming."
El nuevo nombre indica que Wyoming es el campo misionero de la red, dijo, donde los bautistas del sur "trabajarán juntos para esparcir la Gran Comisión a través de nuestro estado.
"Mi esperanza es que nuestras iglesias se movilicen juntas mejor que nunca, y de mejores maneras que antes," dijo, "a plantar iglesias, testificar y compartir el Evangelio con la gente, y reúnan a personas en las congregaciones."
La población de Wyoming es supuestamente de 90 a 93 por ciento espiritualmente perdida, con 104 congregaciones bautistas del sur que sirven a las 580,000 personas en el estado. Wyoming es el 10º estado más grande en superficie de la nación, pero el menos poblado.
La red está situada para impactar a la mayor porción del estado con el Evangelio, dijo Nikkel.
"Creo que, con la nueva dirección, el nuevo liderazgo y un renovado compromiso con la comunidad y las relaciones juntos como iglesias," dijo, "me siento optimista de que seremos capaces de impactar a los perdidos más que nunca."
La junta ejecutiva de la red ha estado buscando un líder para que sea el sucesor de Nikkel desde que él anunció su retiro en la reunión de primavera de la junta en abril. Se espera que haya una nueva contratación para el otoño que le permita a Nikkel servir durante la transición.
Nikkel comenzó su ministerio en 1980 como ministro asociado de misiones y de jóvenes en la Iglesia Polytechnic Baptist Church (ahora East Meadows Baptist Church) en Fort Worth, Texas, y tuvo su más reciente pastorado sénior en la Memorial Baptist Church en Wheatland, Wyo., de 1994 a 2000. Tuvo dos pastorados en Oklahoma, First Baptist Church de Garber de 1982 a 1985, y First Baptist Church de Fairland de 1985 a 1994.
Comenzó a servir en la vida denominacional bautista del sur en 2000 como estratega de salud de la iglesia en la convención de Wyoming, y se convirtió en el director ejecutivo cinco años después.
Él aprecia la Convención Bautista del Sur por su pureza doctrinal y cooperación, dijo.
"Estoy muy agradecido por lo que somos doctrinalmente," dijo de los bautistas del sur. "Nuestra pureza doctrinal y nuestro compromiso doctrinal con la verdad de la Palabra de Dios es una de nuestras grandes fortalezas, además de nuestro común compromiso con las misiones a través del Programa Cooperativo."
El Programa Cooperativo, el canal de dar financiero de la SBC, sitúa Wyoming para alcanzar "no solamente a nuestro estado," dijo Nikkel, "y no solamente a Norteamérica, sino al mundo para Cristo. Me complace y me siento orgulloso de cómo trabajamos juntos mediante el Programa Cooperativo para hacer que eso suceda."
Él está agradecido por las amistades que ha desarrollado con otros hombres que sirven como directores ejecutivos en las convenciones estatales a lo largo y ancho del país, "y por la manera en la que las convenciones estatales están más cerca al campo de trabajo de las iglesias en todo lugar de la nación."
Nikkel y su esposa Peggy Ellen han estado casados desde 1977 y tienen dos hijos adultos, Christopher Ernst y Jeremy John.
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EDITORIAL: Trabajando en Unidad
by Peter Citelli
Date: September 06, 2018 - Thursday
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (BP) -- "Que vivan con toda humildad y mansedumbre, con paciencia, soportándose unos a otros en amor, esforzándose por preservar la unidad del Espíritu en el vínculo de la paz" (Efesios 4:2-3 NBLH).
En la Antigua Grecia había una notable rivalidad entre la ciudad de Esparta y la ciudad de Atenas. Esparta era una ciudad que era conocida por su temible milicia. Estos se entrenaban para la batalla desde muy temprana edad. En contraste, los de la ciudad de Atenas eran amantes de la cultura, las ciencias, la filosofía y el arte. Filósofos como Aristóteles, Platón y Sócrates eran personajes conocidos entre sus rangos. No obstante, en dos ocasiones estas dos ciudades (las cuales competían por el liderazgo del antiguo mundo Griego) desecharon temporalmente sus rivalidades para vencer a Persia, su enemigo en común, el cual buscaba como invadirlos.
De la misma manera en la Iglesia de Cristo debemos esforzarnos por mantenernos unánimes, en común acuerdo (Efesios 4:3). Siendo que Cristo es nuestra cabeza, debemos sujetarnos a su Palabra y Señorío (Juan 17:17, 21; 1 Timoteo 6:3-4). Debemos buscar unidad en la diversidad (1 Corintios 12:20, 21). Recordamos que tenemos una tarea en común, el cumplimiento de la Gran comisión (Mateo 28:18-19); un objetivo en común, la cosecha prometida (Lucas 10:2; Juan 4:35) y un enemigo en común (Mateo 13:25; Hechos 26:18; 1 Pedro 5:8).
Adam Greenway, ha recordado a la SBC que "va a tomar a todos, trabajando juntos en unidad para que la tarea de la Gran comisión sea lograda." El nos dice que esa fue exactamente "la razón por la cual nos juntamos como una convención de iglesias en 1845." Esto es evidentemente expresado en la carta de incorporación de la Convención Bautista del Sur, donde leemos que el propósito de la misma era "Obtener, combinar y dirigir energías de la denominación para la propagación del evangelio." Este es un objetivo común que nunca debemos olvidar. Es la razón primordial de nuestra existencia.
De modo que es de suma importancia, el desechar las diferencias y las rivalidades, decidiendo vivir en armonía, con una misma mente y con un mismo sentir en el Señor (Filipenses 2:2; 4:2). Con una misma meta, la propagación del evangelio de nuestro Señor.
El apóstol Pablo expresó, "Les ruego, hermanos, por el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que todos se pongan de acuerdo (que hablen lo mismo), y que no haya divisiones entre ustedes, sino que estén enteramente unidos en un mismo sentir (de una misma mente) y en un mismo parecer" (1 Corintios 1:10).
El apóstol Pedro nos recuerda, "En conclusión, sean todos de un mismo sentir (tengan todos armonía), compasivos, fraternales, misericordiosos, y de espíritu humilde" (1 Pedro 3:8).
Consecuentemente, esta verdad es ilustrada por el adverbio Griego "homothumadon", el cual tiene la connotación de ser "unánimes en propósito." Este ocurre en el Nuevo Testamento Griego aproximadamente unas 11 veces.
Podemos percibir algunos ejemplos de esta unidad de propósito, cuando se nos dice que los discípulos estaban continuamente orando de común acuerdo, "Todos éstos estaban unánimes, entregados de continuo a la oración" (Hechos 1:14). "Al oír ellos esto, unánimes alzaron la voz a Dios y dijeron: "Oh, Señor, Tú eres el que hiciste el cielo y la tierra, el mar y todo lo que en ellos hay" (Hechos 4:24).
Seguido, se nos dice que continuamente se asociaban y persistían en su testimonio y comunión de fe, "Día tras día continuaban unánimes en el templo y partiendo el pan en los hogares, comían juntos con alegría y sencillez de corazón" (Hechos 2:46).
También se nos dice que ellos participaban juntos en el envío de misioneros, "Nos pareció bien, habiendo llegado a un común acuerdo, escoger algunos hombres para enviarlos a ustedes con nuestros amados Bernabé y Pablo" (Hechos 15:25).
Y todo esto lo hacían, enfocándose en la Gloria de Dios como meta principal, "Para que unánimes, a una voz, glorifiquen al Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo [el Mesías]" (Romanos 15:6).
Que el Señor en su gracia, nos permita desechar las diferencias y procurar juntos la misma meta, la propagación del evangelio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.